Hacked US roadwork signs light up 'Donald Trump is a shape-shifting lizard'

A number of road signs in the US fell victim to a politically-motivated 'hack' attack after being altered to show messages relating to presidential candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. The first sign, spotted by drivers on the Interstate 30 in Dallas, Texas, was changed to read "Donald Trump is a shape-shifting lizard" while another said "Bernie for President".

The messages came over the Memorial Day weekend, initially being made to state "Party Hardy Y'all" by the elusive pranksters, while another message told commuters that "Work is cancelled. Go back home."

According to Ryan LaFontaine, the Texas Department of Transport (DoT) spokesperson, the process involved in changing the signs is relatively simple for their workers who have the passwords. However, he said his department is concerned about the "boldness" of those responsible.

To change the wording on the signs, a person would have to physically break into the panel and bypass the password system, officials said.

"Any sort of tampering with that sort of stuff is a third-degree felony and it's punishable. We're talking prison time," LaFontaine told NBC, which reported that such a crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison under US law. "It's not something that's taken lightly be any means."

"Due to safety concerns, we strongly discourage people from stopping in work zones to create situations such as this," the spokesperson added.

DoT officials noted the signs belonged to a contractor who was conducting work along the interstate and stressed there is no way to "remotely" hack the signs.

In the past, conspiracy theorists have spread the notion that high-level politicians, government officials and celebrities are so-called "lizard people" (yes, really). In one 2013 poll, as reported by the Daily Dot at the time, 4% of those asked (over 1000 respondents) stated a belief that "lizard people control our societies by gaining political power".